


Million Pieces

by komkommertijd



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romantic Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23611678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/komkommertijd/pseuds/komkommertijd
Summary: It breaks my heart into a million pieces. If it's gonna break me, won't you let me go? Leave it 'til the morning, I don't wanna know.A collection of various Soulmate AUs no one asked for but I wrote it anyway.
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen
Comments: 6
Kudos: 63





	Million Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Soulmate AU where your tattoo shows the first thing your soulmate thought when they saw you.
> 
> Pairing: Maxiel because what else did you expect

Max is running late and he knows it.

Christian told him to be there for a meeting with a client at 8:05 am, which means that Max is supposed to be there at 7:30 am. It's currently 8:22 am and he keeps pressing the button of the elevator frantically. He's sweating underneath his suit and the tie feels unbelievably tight around his neck when he finally moves upwards to the 53rd floor. The quiet noise of the elevator signals his arrival and the lawyer's office still smells like new wood and expensive suits and his shoes create a monotonous rhythm against the buffed floor.

He enters the conference room at 8:26 am and earns a glare from his boss. Next to him, on one of the comfortable chairs, sits what must be their potential new client. He's tall and handsome, with a bright smile, radiating confidence and apparently he has a lot of patience. Max apologizes when he sits down on the opposite side of the table, barely remembering to open the button of his suit jacket and his feet shuffling awkwardly on the grey carpet. He's too busy staring at the client and feeling scared of the consequences of running late when Christian's glare doesn't fade.

It takes a few seconds until he has sorted his thoughts and the documents on the table and only then does he notice a detail that startles him.

_Who the fuck drinks coffee with a straw?_

"Max, meet Daniel Ricciardo, our potential new client. He is-"

"Four-time and current reigning Formula One World Champion, I know", he interrupts and instantly knows that Christian will kill him later for not acting professional and being his usual self in the presence of a client. He knows exactly that this is an important job and they really need some big clients, there are many other law offices in the city and if Max ruins this, Christian might throw him out the window.

The client, _Daniel fucking Ricciardo_ , laughs and shakes his head, swirling his straw around in his coffee before slowly lifting it from the cup, careful not to stain the table, and pointing it at Max, his signature smile still present on his face.

"He's great, I like him. Max, right? I'm sure you can explain that contract to me."

Christian looks just as surprised as Max feels and Daniel puts the straw back into his coffee before he leans over the table to look at the additional paper Christian puts down between him and Max, who takes up the pen from the table and starts pointing to various sentences to explain the details of the contract to him. He talks about responsible partners and money and sorts out some questions. It's nothing unusual but something in his gut makes him feel like it's something special now. He blames it on the fact that they are dealing with a famous athlete and ignores that it is also nothing unusual for one of the best law firms in the city to do so.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not quite happy with that contract jut yet", Daniel interrupts his rambling and Max exchanges a questioning glance with Christian before he nods and waits for the client to elaborate. Somehow Daniel continues to surprise him.

"I apologize should this be too straight forward, but I'd like Max to be my lawyer instead."

"Max is still new in the business, I can promise you that Sebastian Vettel is one of the best and an excellent partner for you to work with. He has ten years of experience and knows exactly what he's doing", Christian argues. Daniel shoves the beverage around with the straw. Max stays quiet and he's extremely confused and doesn't know what to do. Besides, Christian's reaction does kind of hurt. Sure, Sebastian is a Senior Partner and rarely ever loses a case, wins all the time just like Daniel does but Max graduated with the best degree from Harvard Law School and did a pretty decent job as a lawyer as well after all. It wasn't fair of Christian to treat him this way but it's nothing new and he really should have seen that coming.

"That's good for Mister Vettel, really, but I want Max. I trust him, I want him to be my lawyer. Alternatively, I can also go to Hamilton Rosberg, they offered me a good contract as well."

Christian sighs and rubs his hands across his face in despair, realizing that he doesn't really have a different option. Daniel uses the few seconds of peace and quiet to wink at Max and takes another sip of his coffee.

"Okay, fine. Max Verstappen will be your lawyer."

They change the name on the paper and it looks strange but Max can't help but feel proud of himself. It's his first own client, one he doesn't have to share with another lawyer or work with under the supervision of a Senior Partner.

"Alrighty, that looks and sounds a lot better already. Where do I have to sign?"

Max hands his new client the pen, their fingers briefly touching and then he points to the right line and Daniel puts his signature on it, confirming their cooperation.

"Welcome to the party, Mister Ricciardo."

Daniel lifts his cup and grins at Max.

"Cheers to that" and he still has that ugly straw in his cup. At least it's a metal straw, Max notices and then his eyes widen and something inside him clicks and then he knows why his fingers are still tingling so hard five minutes later, long after they have gotten up and shaken hands when he's filing documents away in his office.

It's quiet, so he carefully takes his suit jacket off and unbuttons the sleeve of his dress shirt until black ink appears underneath the clean white fabric on pale skin.

Words inked on his skin, words he's been reading over and over again for years, almost inked into his brain as well by now, words that are so familiar that he feels almost stupid for not realizing it sooner. He has been 20 minutes late to the meeting that morning.

_He's 20 minutes late but at least he's hot._

He shakes his head and buttons the shirt back up. He puts the suit jacket back on, get back to his work and tries really hard not to think about it too much.

Soulmates. Daniel Ricciardo is not only his client but also his goddamn soulmate.

There's a careful knock on his door, knuckles against glass and when he looks up from his paperwork he's looking into the familiar face of his new client. He nods slightly and Daniel smiles shyly before he enters the room and gently closes the door behind him.

"He's 20 minutes late but at least he's hot", Daniel says when he's sitting down on the other side of Max's desk and takes his jacket off, showing his wrist to his lawyer where _Who the fuck drinks coffee with a straw?_ is inked into his skin, visible underneath the wristband of his expensive watch. The confusion in Max's head slowly starts to fade.

"So you figured it out as well?"

Daniel nods and pulls his arm back, drops his hands in his lap and looks down at them, fiddling with his fingers. They keep quiet for a while, neither of them daring to speak up, neither of them knowing what to say, no words really solving their problem.

"Maybe I should-", Daniel begins and falls silent, gets up hurriedly and puts his jacket back on, almost getting stuck in the dark blue sleeve with his arm. He points to the door and they both nod but neither of them moves, stopping in their tracks.

"Yeah, maybe you should-", Max repeats and doesn't really know why he does it, because he has no clue what he could say now, doesn't have a clue what Daniel was even going to say but somehow he feels like he does know it in the end.

"Yeah, I guess", his client replies slowly and he still stands in the middle of Max's office, looking almost tiny and helpless and still not moving away from where he's standing with his dirty Vans glued to the carpet, only awkwardly waving his hand as a replacement for the words he can't string together. Neither of them knows what it is supposed to mean but Max dumbly nods again just to do _something_.

"You are my new client. Maybe we should go out for dinner to celebrate that and to, you know, build some more of that trust you were talking about earlier", Max suggests and suddenly Daniel laughs loudly, his happy voice filling the room and taking some of the tension away, soothing Max's nerves, comforting him and making him feel more at ease while his shoulders relax. He didn't notice the way Daniel manages to light up whole rooms by simply existing before.

"I'd like that, Mister Max Verstappen."

"I will pay with Christian's corporate card", Max adds and his soulmate, God it feels weird to even think that, leans against his desk with another broad smile on his face and the sleeve of his jacket bunched up above the watch, barely allowing a hint of the ink on his skin to show.

"That sounds even better, actually. I'll see you later then? You have my number, just text me the details."

"I will", Max assures him and Daniel winks at him one more time, it really shouldn't affect Max the way it does, before he leaves the office, his steps looking almost carefree when he barely manages to jump into the elevator before the doors close behind him.

Max shakes his head, goes back to work and only notices the smile on his own lips when his cheeks begin to hurt later on.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to another project of mine, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter!
> 
> Feel free to send me prompts and requests for this on [Tumblr](https://komkommertijd.tumblr.com/) if you want, I'll see you soon with more content :)


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